Apparatus for loading or unloading mine cages or buckets.



' i/vases I V flllomcys.

No. 654,270. Patented July 24, I900. J. F. McKAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING 0R UNLDADING MINE EAGES 0R BUGKETS.

(Application filed Apr 2 1900-) (No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

IQJCDIOP No. 654.270. Patented July 24,1900. J. F. MCKAY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING 0R UNLHADING MINE CAGES 0R BUGKETS.

(Application filed Apr. 24, IQOOJ (ND Modem 2 Sheets8heet 2.

"n4: Norms PzrzRs ca. Pam-ammo. msmucrnu. u. c.

JOHN F. MOKAY, OF PROSPERITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNRAYMOND AND OLAUD D. RAYMOND, OF WEBB CITY, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING MINE CAGES OR BUCKETS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 654,270, dated July 24,1900.

Application filed April 24, 1900. Serial No. 14,138. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MOKAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Prosperity, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Loading or Unloading MineCages or Buckets, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for loading andunloading mine cages or buckets.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofthe mechanism employed for loading and unloading mine cages and bucketsand to provide a simple and comparatively-inexpensive one adapted whenthe bucket descends to load the same automatically and capable ofautomatically tilting the bucket as the same reaches the limit of itsupward movement, whereby the expense of handling coal or other productsof a mine is reduced to aminimum and the dangerincident to hoisting andlowering buckets greatly lessened.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of anapparatus for automatically lowering and dumping a mine car, bucket, orcage constructed in accordance with this invention, the bucket being inposition for discharging its contents. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, the bucket being at the bottom of the mine-shaft in position forreceiving its load. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating themanner of mounting the bucket in the guides.

Like numerals of reference'designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw ings.

1 1 designate vertical guides or ways designed to be located at oppositesides of the center of a mine-shaft in the usual manner and receivingupper and lower rollers or wheels of a bucket or cage 2, which isprovided with a bail 3 and which is connected with a hoisting rope orcable 4: in the usual manner. The bucket is provided at opposite sidesof its upper portion with upper pivots or journals 5, which receive theupper rollers or wheels 6, and it has arms 7 depending from its bottomand provided with openings for the reception of a transverse rod 8. Thearms are preferably formed integral with a transverse bottom bar 9, andthe ends of the rod are extended outward beyond the arms and form anaxle for a pair of lower rollers or wheels 10. The bail 3 is connectedwith the rod 8 at the outer faces of the arms 7 and is provided near thecenters of its sides with bends 11 to enable it to clear the journals 5and at the same time to lie centrally of the bucket to prevent anylateral pressure and to avoid the bucket binding in the guides or ways.The bucket is adapted to swing outward on the transverse rod 8, whichforms a pintle, and inclined side tracks or rails 12 extend from theupper portion of the guides or ways to receive the upper wheels 6, asillustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, when the bucketreaches the limit of its upward movement. The inclined side tracks orrails 12, which are supported by braces 13, extend from side openings 14of the ways, and pivoted switches 15 are mounted adja-' cent to the sideopenings 14 to cause the upper rollers or wheels to move laterallythrough the openings 14 and to be supported by the side tracks orrails12. These pivoted switches are substantially Vshaped, being composed ofupper arms 16 and lower arms 17, arranged A at an angle to each'other.The pivot 18 is .arranged at the angle of the switch, and

the lower depending arm, which is lighter than the upper outwardlyextending arm, is disposed across the guide or way, as clearly shown inFig. 2 of the accompanying draw- 0 ings, when the switch is in itsnormal position, whereby it is adapted to switch the up 'per rollers orwheels upon the side tracks or rails. The further upward movement of thebucket causes the upper rollers or wheels to engage theoutwardly-extending arms 16, which are lifted suiliciently to throw thelower arms 17 outward to a vertical position to close the side openingstemporarily, as I illustrated in Fig. 2 0f the accompanying 10odrawings. The depending arms 17 of the pivoted switches when arranged inavertical position cause the lower rollers or wheels to move verticallyin the guides or ways past the side openings of the same to elevate thebottom of the bucket, and thereby invert the latter to discharge thecontents of the same. The bucket is arranged in a slightly-inclinedposition, as shown in Fig. 2, and when the bail and the hoisting rope orcable are lowered the rollers or wheels 10 move downward and the upperrollers or wheels are drawn inward into the vertical guides or ways.

The bucket is filled from a hopper 19, having an inclined bottom 20- andlocated below the level at which the mining operations are carried on,so that a car or a tub may be conveniently dumped to discharge itscontents into the hopper. The hopper is provided at its front, adjacentto the shaft, with a hinged gate or section 20, having sides or wings21, located on the exterior of the hopper when the gate or door isclosed and adapted to form a chute when the same is open, whereby thecontents of the hopper will be discharged into the bucket. The pintle orpivot 22 of the gate 20 is located at the lower edge of the inclinedbottom, so that the said gate when swung downward to the positionillustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings is adapted to form acontinuation of the said bottom.

The gate or door is normally held in a vertical or closed position by aweight 23, attached to one end of the rope 24 or other flexibleconnection, which passes over a pulley 25 and which is secured to thegate near the upper edge thereof, and it is preferable to employ a pairof such weights, which are located-at opposite sides of the hopper onthe exterior thereof.

The automatic opening of the gate is effected by means of a lever 26,fulcrumed at one end 27 on the framework 28, which supports the hopper,and having its other end arranged in the path of the bucket, as shown inFig. 1, and connected at a point intermediate of its ends with the gateby a link 29, pivoted or hinged to the said gate and to the lever by anysuitable means. When the bucket descends, the transverse rod or axle 8engages the lever, which is arranged in an l the combination of verticalguides having 1 side tracks, a pivoted switch, a bucket pro- .vided withupper journals, arms depending from the bottom of the bucket, a rodmounted 1 on the arms and extended beyond the same 1; to form journals,wheels or rollers mounted j upon the said journals, and a bail connected,jwith the said rod and provided at opposite sides with bends to clearthe upper journals, 1 substantially as described.

inclined position when the gate is closed and which is; swung downwardby the weight of the bucket to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. Thisbrings the hinged gate in position for discharging the contents of thehopper into the bucket, and the capacity of the hopper should besubstantially the same as that of the bucket, so that none of thecontents will be wasted. As soon as the bucket rises with its load theweights 23 automatically close the gate and swing the lever upward totheinclined position shown in Fig. 1.

It will beseen that the apparatus is exceedingly simple and inexpensivein construction and that it is absolutely automatic in its operationboth as to the filling and dumping of the bucket or cage and that noattendants are required for such operation. It will also be apparentthat the only person required for operating the bucket is the one havingcontrol of the engine or other motor, which may be stationed either atthe mouth of the shaft or a considerable distance therefrom.Furthermore, it will be clear that the miners may discharge the contentsof their cars or tubs into the hopper, and that the apparatus obviatesthe necessity of having the men hook tubs or buckets on the hoistingrope or cable. Also the bucket isheld perfectly steady at the center ofthe shaft, and accidents are thereby reduced to'a minimum. Also it willbe apparent that as the upper outwardly-extending arm 16 is heavier thanthe depending arm 17 the pivoted switch will operate automatically andwill assume the position shown in Fig. 2 as soon as the bucket descends.

What is claimed is-- 1. In an apparatus of the class described, thecombination of a vertical guide or way having a side track and providedthereat with an opening, a bucket or cage having upper and lower devicesengaging the guide or way, and a pivoted switch mounted adjacent to 1the said side track and provided with arms, 1 one of the arms beingarranged normally across the guide or way to direct or switch the upperdevice of the bucket upon the side track, and the other arm beingarranged to be engaged by the said upper device to close the switch andcause the lower device of the bucket to be carried upward to invert thebucket, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of thevertical guides or ways provided with inclined side tracks and hav ingopenings thereat, a pivoted switch having j arms 16 and 17 arranged atan angle to each other, one of the arms being disposed normally acrossthe adjacent guide or way, and the other arm being extended outward, anda bucket provided with upper and lower rollers or wheels, the upperwheels or rollers being adapted to be switched upon the side tracks andto engage the arm 16 to close the switch, substantially as described.-

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

4-. In an apparatus of the class described,

3 the combination with a bucket, of a hopper having an inclined bottomand provided with 2a hinged gate adapted'to form a chute, a g weightconnectedwith and adapted to hold 1 the gate normally closed, a leverlocated beneath the gate and arranged in the path of my own, I havehereto afflxed my signaturein the bucket and adapted to be depressed bythe presence of two witnesses. the same, and a link connecting the leverwith the gate, whereby the latter will be JOHN MOKAY 5 opened When thelever is depressed by the Witnesses:

bucket, substantially as described. J. W. KIEFF,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as WV. F. COOK.

